Crescent moon not sighted; Eid’l Fit’r to be held March 21 - mufti

Eid'l Fitr will be celebrated by Filipino Muslims on Saturday, March 21, after the Shawwal or crescent moon has not been sighted on Thursday evening, the Bangsamoro Mufti announced.

Bangsamoro Mufti Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani said that the crescent moon was not present during the moon sighting led by the Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta’ (BDI).

Further, Muslims in the country will fast for one more day to complete the 30 days of Ramadhan and will hold the Eid’l Fit’r on Saturday.

“By the authority vested in me as Bangsamoro mufti, I, Abdulrauf Guialani, hereby announce that the crescent moon was not sighted today. Therefore, Eid’l Fitr and the first day of Shawwal will be on Saturday, March 21, 2026, In Shaa Allah,” Sheikh Guialani said in a statement.

In a separate announcement, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said that March 21 will be recognized as an official Regular Non-Working Holiday.

“Therefore, pursuant to the Bangsamoro Holidays Act (BAA No. 39), the Bangsamoro Government hereby informs the public that Eid’l Fit'r is recognized as an official Regular Non-Working Holiday on Saturday, March 21, 2026, throughout the BARMM region,” it said.

Eid’l Fitr is celebrated by the Muslim world for three days after the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month, which calls for spiritual reflection through praying, fasting, and abstaining from sinful behavior.

Ramadan started on February 19.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has previously declared March 20, 2026, a regular holiday across the country in observance of Eid’l Fitr.

—Jamil Santos/AOL, GMA Integrated News